Taking the Taker
by Belgost
Summary: An idea of what it may be like to beat the Undertaker on the grandest stage of them all.


Taking the Taker

*Look in my eyes, What do you see?

The Cult of personality I know your anger, I know your dreams I've been everything you want to be*

The opening strains of CM Punk's theme song pour through the arena as I shudder in my new boots with excitement. I check with the gorilla, and he holds up a finger to let me know to wait. I watch Punk on a backstage monitor, grinning as he enters the arena. I am getting ready to fulfill a lifelong dream on the grandest stage of them all, something said about so many and done by so few.

One of my heroes, the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, is going to give my ring announcement, CM Punk is the special guest timekeeper, and we even have a special guest referee for this match. It's definately the biggest match of my short career, but I was chosen for it due to my status of the new American one has told me who the guest ref is yet, but Vince McMahon himself assured me when I saw him, I would be more excited than I had ever been in the ring.

*Ahh, Ahh, Ahh,  
>I think I'm cute I know I'm sexy I got the look That drives the girls wild*<p>

I keep my eyes fixed on the screen as a laundry list of the biggest stars in WWE history are introduced one by one for my big match. Shawn Michaels return for the match was a surprise for the fans, and the pop is absolutely deafening.

I look again at the Gorilla, making him look at me with aggravation. I know when to enter, I just like to make the guy squirm. As Shawn's entrance finishes, I wait for Triple H, the COO of WWE, to announce the next superstar to the ring. He starts to announce a special guest announcer, when the stars music starts.

*Your time is up my time is now You can't see me my time is now It's the franchise, boy I'm shining now You can't see me my time is now*

Cena's voice rings out across the arena, and the audience explodes. I can actually hear half the audience chanting, "Let's go Cena" and the other half responding "Cena Sucks!"

This match is the last for my opponent, and the stars are all out for the end of a great career. Shawn Michaels takes over the mic from Triple H to give the last celebrity announcement for the match. "And at long last, the special guest referee for this historic moment, The one and only..."

Shawn is cut off by shattering glass as the Texas Rattlesnake, Stone Cold Steve Austin, walks out to the ring, his distinctive music blaring as he lifts a hand and a beer flys to him from the audience. He proceeds to open it and pour it down his throat without hesitation.

The announcement for the special guests end, and Shawn gets back in the ring, only to be interrupted by another stars theme.

*If Ya smeeeeeeelellllllll What the Rock Is cookin'*

The Rock enters the arena, shakes Austins hand and takes a Mic. "Not let me get this staight. You thought you could have the biggest match of all time, and not include The Great One?"

Shawn bites. "Well, Rock, we thought..."

"It doesn't matter what you thought, because the Rock has a special order right here from the board of directors, that this has been made a Legends Lumberjack Match, and The Rock gets to pick the lumberjacks, so I picked all the guys that the Champion has beaten at mania over the years, and any legend that lives that I could talk into doing it!"

A massive cavalcade of the greats, from The Rock to Road Warrior Animal, and even names no one ever thought would be in WWE again, Hulk Hogan and Warrior not the least amongst them, came out to stand around the ring for one incredible match, and watch a new generation test it's mettle on this stage. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the Legends around the ring, the biggest names of all time all right there. Between them, these men had performed at every single Wrestlemania!

Finally, the last legend out of the back, Brett Hart in fact, was in place, and it was time for my legendary Opponents introduction. Shawn Michaels held the mic in waiting, then when the packed Madison Square Garden finally quieted, he began.

"Ladies and gentlemen I will now introduce first, standing six feet ten inches tall, weighing in at two-hundred, ninety nine pounds of pure destruction, hailing from Death Valley, He is the WWE heavyweight champion and the owner of the longest winning streak in Wrestlemania history. He is the Deadman. The Phenom. The UNDERTAKER!"

The arena goes totally dark, and then a faint purple light shines down on a smoke filled entrance area. In the darkness, a bell chimes, then another. The strains of the funeral march play as dozens of the druids that once served this man during another era walk from the back, right past me. The man himself comes up to me before entering the arena and places a hand on my shoulder. "Good luck out there."

He then gets ready for his entrance by climbing into a lacquered black casket, laying down and crossing his arms before they close the top. The druids slowly pass him hand to hand all the way to the ring, where Paul Bearer and Kane wait. Paul holds up the urn, smiling and incanting in that creepy voice of his, while Kane slowly raises his hands. At the instant the Taker rises, Kane's hands fall, the effects guy triggers the corner pyro, and it appears that all hell breaks loose.

The Phenom is sitting up in the Casket, a terrifying sight in his own right. He stands in the coffin, and steps directly to the ring, then over the ropes and inside. Since his ressurection at Mania 28, where he added Kane again to the streak, making 20, he has been entering with Paul and Kane. The Gorilla signals for me to get into position. I take a breath and prepare myself mentally. I cashed in Money in the Bank, my shot from the Royal Rumble, and traded my Belt I won at Elimination Chamber for this one shot at the Phenom, and I wasn't about to be outdone by the deadman's awe-inspiring theme.

Shawn's voice comes back just in time. "And his opponent, weighing in at two hundred fifty pounds, standing six feet two inches tall, the Technician from Texas, and the man who broke Every record and rule to get this chance. Hero!"

My music is what the audience expects, but instead I have a surprise for them. A platform raises from behind a screen that has all the Phenoms victim's listed on it. A brilliant light shines from the bottom of the platform as it slowly lowers. Where the light touches, the Druids withdraw as if hurt, and they hurriedly file out of the arena. Once all the druids are gone, dozens of large men in white robes silently lower to the floor of the arena, each holding an instrument or with a microphone set up in his hood. The arena goes totally silent for a few moments, and quietly strains of music slide out of the myriad instruments carried by the men. As the music gets to the correct part, the platform continues lowering as the robed figures begin singing Carmina Burana: O Fortuna. It touches the floor and I step off, barely ignoring the chills running down my spine as the forboding music freezes the audience on my presence. For the first time in my lifetime, the Undertaker is in the ring at Wrestlemania, and he isn't the center of attention.

The song slows to an end as I stand in the the ring, a big smile on my face. Shawn Brings us to the middle of the ring to explain the rules and give us a chance to shake hands. We listen quietly as our last moments before the collosal clash come to an end. As one last gesture, I stick my hand out to the deadman, and he shakes it. One lifetime goal down. Too bad the next won't be as easy. We return to our corner, and I stop to say a little prayer. The time between touching our corners and the bell ringing seems to take forever, but at long last the time came and the bell chimed.

With incredible speed, the Phenom came across the ring, intent on ending me early. I noted how he was still faster than the many wrestlers I had met before him after all these years as I barely managed to dodge. My move wasn't far enough, though, and the big man got a hand on me.

I tried to break his hold by spinning, but my attempt to turn the move into a hammerlock simply wound up with me backwards and his knee in my back a moment later. I stared in amazement as the Demon of Death Valley looked me in the eye, and then in a swift strike blacked that eye for me. I stumbled a step, but came back swinging. I had come into the match planning to avoid getting into a striking fight with him at all costs, but he was so good at getting you into them it was unbelievable. I tried fervently to create space between us. He continues in chasing me with strike combos, and finally gets me with a hard right, setting up his dropdown throat thrust. As I reel into the corner, the Deadman takes hold of my arm and goes up top for old school. As his weight crashes down onto me, I roll across the ring and almost to the floor. I slowly gather my feet, but the Phenom is already on me. He locks me in a front face-lock, and then lifts my arm over his head, and i know I'm going for a ride. For a moment, doubt creeps into my thoughts as I am lifted into the air. I see for a moment what is ahead of me and realize the Phenom wants this match over. I feel no mat below me when I should. I was just suplexed out of the ring. I fall, thinking this is it, and feel the hands of dozens of Legends catch me. They stand me up and throw me back at the Phenom. I quickly get up when I enter the ring, not letting Taker get to me again. Now it's my turn.

He runs across the ring at me, trying to use the same trick as last time, but I lean back and catch him with my foot. I return the charge while the man is stunned, and grab him, lift him high, and spinebuster him hard into the ground. I stand to my feet and take a step back. As the Taker sits up, I am coming off the ropes, performing a short dropkick to his chest, slamming him back to the mat. I drag him to his feet and start the punch combo that sets up my first signature move. Left hook to the arm, right hook to the ribs, stomp kick to the shin, then while his shin is up, I drop and take hold of his shin. I lift him in the air and onto my back in a fireman's carry. Shouting at the top of my lungs, I stun the audience as I throw his head over, turning into the Firebomb, a firman's carry to powerbomb transition I am credited with innovating.

I roll onto the man, but he kicks out at one. I stand up and go to pull the Taker to his feet, but his hand suddenly grabs my throat. As he stands, I try to escape, but can't seem to. As he lifts me in the choke slam, I quickly wrap my legs around his shoulder and lift away from his hand, breaking his grip. Before he slams me down, I wrap an arm around his hand and hold on. A moment later, as my back hits the mat, I pull hard, applying a cross armbar from his chokeslam. The Taker easily forces me to break the move by rolling me up, but it gives me a chance to roll away. He flattens me again, however, with a big boot to the face. As I lay there, stunned, my head rolls around and I see the fans. "For them." I think. Taker stands me up, but I have been waiting for him. By leaning on him until he sets up another chokeslam, I get him to make enough room for me to hit a Legendary move. I push off, step back, and superkick the Deadman right in the teeth. The momentum sends me into the corner, and takes the Phenom off his feet, landing him in the middle of the ring.

My star shines for a moment as I think I may have it. The Taker is down A collective gasp come from the audience. Twenty thousand people are stunned. I stumble to the middle of the ring to cover the man. One. Two. And an arm shoots up at the last second. I look over and see Shawn Michaels laughing harder than I have ever seen before. The Taker pushes me off of him as he regains his footing. He grabs me and this time, I have no way to escape. He lifts me high in the air, and chokeslams me straight to hell. I lay there, thinking this must be it. My first loss. Then the audience starts to chant. They have no reason to do so. This is my first WWE match of any importance. The Undertaker has done this over three decades. But the chant continues.

Heeee-Ro Heeee-Ro

With each chant, I feel energy flowing through me. I rise to a knee while the Taker has his back turned to signal the Tombstone Piledriver. I stand behind him and as he turns around, I give him one quick crotch chop, a kick to the gut, and then hook up his arms for the Pedigree. I jump and bend my knees, making him slam hard into the mat. I am sure he isn't done yet, though, so I wait. He sits up a moment later, and regains his verticle base. As soon as he has done so, I grab his arm and throw him into the corner. I follow him in, driving my shoulder into his gut. I lift him onto the turn buckle and climb to the second rope as well. I try to grapple him, but he breaks it. Two punches later, I feel myself start to fall. His large hand reaches my shirt, and he grabs it. He forces me to bend, then lifts me Powerbomb style. A moment later, he delivers a thundering Last Ride Powerbomb that completely removes me from the ring. I land after sliding on the outside of the ring. The Legends again grab me quickly and throw me back into the ring. I land right at his feet, and he pulls me to mine.

He lifts me for the Tombstone, and I can hear Cena just a bit talking about how many people have been put away by this move. I force my feet over, and almost reverse it, but Taker catches himself, and drops. I feel my head connect as his finisher takes me to the ground. A pounding noise awakes me. Boom. I know it means something, but why do I feel like I need to move my shoulder at all costs. Boom. I feel the pressure on my body, but I fight out and throw a shoulder up at the last moment. My eyes flutter open to see the look on the Phenom's face. He looks momentarily stunned. He goes to get up, and I roll to my stomach to start getting up. The Taker grabs me and helps me up again, only to send me to the floor with a flurry of punches. He grabs my hand, and thenpulls me into the Hell's Gate submission, a move that has never been broken without the ropes. I look around to see that I am in the center of the ring, and I start to panic as my vision tunnels.

I pull up, and manage to lift the Taker. As I stand, he looks into my eyes. "Are you the one to do it, then?" I slam him hardon the mat, breaking the almost unbreakable hold. I pull him to his feet, into the corner, and onto the top rope. The audience goes berzerk. Of the twenty two thousand that are here, only about five thousand have seen the next move before, watching me on the indy circuit, but they are telling the people around them what is about to happen. It's called the Apocolypse, and no one has ever managed to get up from it. I lock the Taker in a double underhook, and lift from the top rope, flipping him up to a toss across the ring. We both land hard. Neither of us moves as Austin begins the ten count. One... I can't feel my feet. Two... I start to move just a bit. Three... I finally reach my knees, and feel my forehead. Nothing damaged. I crawl towards the Taker slowly. Four... I get close to reaching him. Only now do I realize the count is now in my head. I grab the ropes on five and turn to the Dead Man. Just as I prepare to fall on him, he sits up.

I can't believe it. My jaw drops as I start to wonder if he is, as so many have suggested, unbeatable on this one night. Before tonight, no one has even been able to answer a ten count after that move. When we both reach a vertical base, Taker and I return to trading blows. You can hear the full impact ofevery shot. The audience is silently in awe of the match they have been treated to.

Finally, Taker takes a huge swing for my head and I duck, I jump up and hit a backstabber on the taker, launching him into the turnbuckle. I come and climb the turnbuckle. On the top rope I point to CM Punk on the outside and smile. Punk suddenly realizes what I'm going to do and starts a chant from the audience. Pepsi Plunge, Pepsi Plunge.

I hook up the double underhook again, but this time I am facing the ring. I lift the Taker to the top rope, and then Jump forward off, landing him on his face with my full force on him. I kip up and fall over into the cover One... Two...

The next day, I am signing autographs, having lived my dream, when the Taker comes up to me.

"Man," He says, his face still showing disbelief, "I can't beleive I'm going out on a loss. Never let anyone tell you you can't do something, ok kid?"

With that, the legendary Deadman rode off into the sunset.


End file.
